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As I entered this semi-detached house in eastern Singapore, a sculptural bonsai tree greeted me. Placed in a courtyard beside the foyer, it served as a focal point and connected me to the outdoors even as I stepped inside. The tree was also visible from the living and dining rooms, which felt cocooning thanks to the Black Nero Marquina marble flooring and carefully calibrated openings.
After reviewing the portfolios of several firms, the owner decided Ming Architects was the best fit. “I wanted a functional home that is quiet and has privacy from the main road,” said the owner. That is understandable – the house sits close to its neighbours, and the narrow road in front is often crowded with moving and parked cars.
The owner’s audiophile sound system was an important part of the brief, and architect Tan Cher Ming, founder of Ming Architects, designed a slim, handsome console to display his turntable and other audio equipment. This, rather than a television, is the highlight of the living room. “This space is more for sitting and enjoying music,” said Tan who created a shady interior with automated external aluminium blinds at the high windows.
The architect is known for designing contemporary single-family homes that often feature sculptural staircases and refined materials. He was also among the recipients of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) fourth edition of its 20 Under 45 programme, which recognises Singapore architects for their contributions to the nation’s built landscape.
The bonsai tree in the foyer courtyard anchors the entrance experience, connecting the interiors to nature from the moment one steps inside. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
This 8,150-sq-ft house sits on a long plot. Correspondingly, the house is a long, monolithic block clad in white Azul marble. "The front of the house has no windows, so the owner has full privacy," explained Tan. A slim screen on the front elevation allows in light and cross-ventilation while revealing nothing of the domestic life within.
The long white elevation is punctuated by voids marking the courtyards, and articulated with black aluminium, recesses and protrusions. The car porch’s sleek aluminium canopy extends sideways as overhangs, sheltering this part of the house from rain and harsh sun. Yet the imposing volume gives way to an interior that feels just bright enough but not glaring, thanks to two courtyards along its length – one between the foyer and living room, and the other between the wet and dry kitchens.
The owner’s audio equipment takes pride of place in the living room, where a custom console displays his turntable and other components. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Tan described these “landscaped voids” as “living breathing cores, mediating light and ventilation while creating visual dialogues between interior and exterior”. He added: “The courtyards are critical tools to introduce light and views into the house due to the length of the site. They also allow natural ventilation into rooms on different floors through windows.”
Each is planted with sculptural greenery and a carpet of grass. The first courtyard shapes the foyer experience. “The foyer is designed to prolong the entry experience and conceal the living spaces beyond; one first enters the house and is greeted by the view of an impressive Bonsai tree,” said Tan. The bonsai tree lends the minimal home a subtle cultural nuance, while its shapely shadows play across the interior.
The second courtyard does more than frame a pleasing view of a Podocarpus tree; it also serves a practical purpose. Tan explained that because the wet kitchen sits so far back on the long plot, access to it was routed past the courtyard. Rather than venting cooking fumes to the rear of the house, they are directed into the courtyard, which also brings natural light and greenery into the wet kitchen.
The dry kitchen continues the home’s refined material palette, pairing veined marble with walnut carpentry and dark cabinetry. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
A sculptural feature within the common spaces, the staircase combines softened curves with Desert Beige marble treads and dark walnut handrails. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Viewed from above, the staircase reveals the soft curves of its form, edged in dark walnut and finished in Desert Beige marble. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The long plot also shaped the staircase design, which resembles a spiral staircase stretched out along the plan. Its treads are in Desert Beige marble, paired with dark walnut handrails. “The staircase is an open staircase design with a central void to bring light from above, and has curves that soften corners. This linear design looks better in this long plot,” said the architect. It was also conceived as a sculptural feature to be appreciated from the common areas of the house.
Because the rear of the plot tapers to a triangular shape, Tan placed utilitarian spaces such as the bathrooms there, reserving the more regular volumes for the bedrooms. The second and third storeys have similar layouts, with the bedrooms located at the rear. Bridges connect the three volumes along the plan, which are separated by the two courtyards. The generous size of the house also allowed Tan to incorporate several multi-purpose spaces, including a capacious family room on the second storey and a spacious library on the third overlooking the rear courtyard.
Walnut carpentry continues into one of the bedrooms, adding warmth to the home’s restrained, monochrome-leaning palette. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The palette of the walk-in wardrobe matches the rest of the house's interior architecture. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The house’s simple palette leans towards monochrome tones, accented by the tactile quality of walnut carpentry. “The interior’s tonal balance of light and dark enhances both drama and calm – an interplay of tension and harmony that defines the home’s contemporary character,” said Tan. Together with the blend of orthogonal forms and subtle curves, this lends the house a sense of modernity and refinement. Yet it does not feel staid – views of greenery and the fluid veining of the marble add sensuality.
Tan’s name for the dwelling – Signet House – is thus apt. A signet is used to seal a document and traditionally represents royal authority. As Tan put it, the house “imbues a sense of authority and stateliness” and is “like a valuable object that represents and reflects the homeowner’s values”. “Fully clad in white stone, the building exudes a sense of timelessness, grandeur and permanence.”
The owner appreciates the house’s comfort and aesthetics, which elevate daily life, but most of all he values the strong client-architect relationship that made the process seamless. He said, “We relied very heavily on Cher Ming and his team. The reason why the project was successful was because there was good rapport. He understood what our needs and ideas were, and was able to transform them into a [comfortable] design well suited to our needs.”
Source: CNA/bt
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FAST
As I entered this semi-detached house in eastern Singapore, a sculptural bonsai tree greeted me. Placed in a courtyard beside the foyer, it served as a focal point and connected me to the outdoors even as I stepped inside. The tree was also visible from the living and dining rooms, which felt cocooning thanks to the Black Nero Marquina marble flooring and carefully calibrated openings.
After reviewing the portfolios of several firms, the owner decided Ming Architects was the best fit. “I wanted a functional home that is quiet and has privacy from the main road,” said the owner. That is understandable – the house sits close to its neighbours, and the narrow road in front is often crowded with moving and parked cars.
The owner’s audiophile sound system was an important part of the brief, and architect Tan Cher Ming, founder of Ming Architects, designed a slim, handsome console to display his turntable and other audio equipment. This, rather than a television, is the highlight of the living room. “This space is more for sitting and enjoying music,” said Tan who created a shady interior with automated external aluminium blinds at the high windows.
The architect is known for designing contemporary single-family homes that often feature sculptural staircases and refined materials. He was also among the recipients of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) fourth edition of its 20 Under 45 programme, which recognises Singapore architects for their contributions to the nation’s built landscape.
The bonsai tree in the foyer courtyard anchors the entrance experience, connecting the interiors to nature from the moment one steps inside. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
This 8,150-sq-ft house sits on a long plot. Correspondingly, the house is a long, monolithic block clad in white Azul marble. "The front of the house has no windows, so the owner has full privacy," explained Tan. A slim screen on the front elevation allows in light and cross-ventilation while revealing nothing of the domestic life within.
The long white elevation is punctuated by voids marking the courtyards, and articulated with black aluminium, recesses and protrusions. The car porch’s sleek aluminium canopy extends sideways as overhangs, sheltering this part of the house from rain and harsh sun. Yet the imposing volume gives way to an interior that feels just bright enough but not glaring, thanks to two courtyards along its length – one between the foyer and living room, and the other between the wet and dry kitchens.
The owner’s audio equipment takes pride of place in the living room, where a custom console displays his turntable and other components. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Tan described these “landscaped voids” as “living breathing cores, mediating light and ventilation while creating visual dialogues between interior and exterior”. He added: “The courtyards are critical tools to introduce light and views into the house due to the length of the site. They also allow natural ventilation into rooms on different floors through windows.”
Each is planted with sculptural greenery and a carpet of grass. The first courtyard shapes the foyer experience. “The foyer is designed to prolong the entry experience and conceal the living spaces beyond; one first enters the house and is greeted by the view of an impressive Bonsai tree,” said Tan. The bonsai tree lends the minimal home a subtle cultural nuance, while its shapely shadows play across the interior.
The second courtyard does more than frame a pleasing view of a Podocarpus tree; it also serves a practical purpose. Tan explained that because the wet kitchen sits so far back on the long plot, access to it was routed past the courtyard. Rather than venting cooking fumes to the rear of the house, they are directed into the courtyard, which also brings natural light and greenery into the wet kitchen.
The dry kitchen continues the home’s refined material palette, pairing veined marble with walnut carpentry and dark cabinetry. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
A sculptural feature within the common spaces, the staircase combines softened curves with Desert Beige marble treads and dark walnut handrails. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
Viewed from above, the staircase reveals the soft curves of its form, edged in dark walnut and finished in Desert Beige marble. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The long plot also shaped the staircase design, which resembles a spiral staircase stretched out along the plan. Its treads are in Desert Beige marble, paired with dark walnut handrails. “The staircase is an open staircase design with a central void to bring light from above, and has curves that soften corners. This linear design looks better in this long plot,” said the architect. It was also conceived as a sculptural feature to be appreciated from the common areas of the house.
Because the rear of the plot tapers to a triangular shape, Tan placed utilitarian spaces such as the bathrooms there, reserving the more regular volumes for the bedrooms. The second and third storeys have similar layouts, with the bedrooms located at the rear. Bridges connect the three volumes along the plan, which are separated by the two courtyards. The generous size of the house also allowed Tan to incorporate several multi-purpose spaces, including a capacious family room on the second storey and a spacious library on the third overlooking the rear courtyard.
Walnut carpentry continues into one of the bedrooms, adding warmth to the home’s restrained, monochrome-leaning palette. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The palette of the walk-in wardrobe matches the rest of the house's interior architecture. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The house’s simple palette leans towards monochrome tones, accented by the tactile quality of walnut carpentry. “The interior’s tonal balance of light and dark enhances both drama and calm – an interplay of tension and harmony that defines the home’s contemporary character,” said Tan. Together with the blend of orthogonal forms and subtle curves, this lends the house a sense of modernity and refinement. Yet it does not feel staid – views of greenery and the fluid veining of the marble add sensuality.
Tan’s name for the dwelling – Signet House – is thus apt. A signet is used to seal a document and traditionally represents royal authority. As Tan put it, the house “imbues a sense of authority and stateliness” and is “like a valuable object that represents and reflects the homeowner’s values”. “Fully clad in white stone, the building exudes a sense of timelessness, grandeur and permanence.”
The owner appreciates the house’s comfort and aesthetics, which elevate daily life, but most of all he values the strong client-architect relationship that made the process seamless. He said, “We relied very heavily on Cher Ming and his team. The reason why the project was successful was because there was good rapport. He understood what our needs and ideas were, and was able to transform them into a [comfortable] design well suited to our needs.”
Source: CNA/bt
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